UNIVERSITY MERCHANDISE AS A BRANDING STRATEGY AND STRENGTHENING THE ENTREPRENEURIAL ECOSYSTEM IN HIGHER EDUCATION
Keywords:
university merchandise, institutional identity, consumer behavior, entrepreneurship, university brandingAbstract
This research aims to examine the strategic role of university merchandise in strengthening institutional identity and developing an entrepreneurial ecosystem in higher education. Thru a systematic literature review of various international and national studies published between 2010 and 2024, this research found that university merchandise has value beyond its economic function. University-branded products serve as symbols of pride, social identity, and a means of communicating the university's values to both the academic community and the public. The study results indicate that emotional factors such as a sense of belonging and institutional image have a strong influence on students' attitudes and purchase intentions toward university merchandise. Additionally, managing the merchandise unit can serve as an experiential learning tool that fosters students' managerial and entrepreneurial skills. By implementing sustainable business models like the Business Model Canvas, the university's merchandise unit also has the potential to become a non-academic revenue source that strengthens the institution's independence and reputation. This finding confirms that the development of official merchandise needs to be viewed as an integrated strategy between branding, learning, and entrepreneurship in realizing an entrepreneurial university.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Muhammad Rido, Fadlil Abdani, Fatana Suastrini, Muhammad Helmy Reza
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